Page 185 of The Romance Adventure

Me: I’ve been bit.

Lally: By a dog?

Me: Much worse.

Lally: Was that an autocorrect? That’s my schtick, remember? Or are you getting me back for last night, pretending that I’d turned my ankle? It was obvious you wanted to go to the cottages and the party was at my place. I’m sorry for fibbing. FYI: If I ever start replacing common words with jungle animals, you know I’m lying. Monkey cheese sounds awful. But my poker face is not

Pain, racing through my legs, seemingly snapping at every previous wound I’ve ever had makes the words on the screen blur.

Me: Spider.

My entire body burns as if with a fever—island fever, treasure fever, Lally fever.

My thoughts slip in and out of focus as a cool cloth presses against my forehead. For a moment, I can think clearly.

I was a Navy pilot, became a special forces operative, and led covert missions. I ruined my previous relationships, if they could even be called that, because I was afraid of what it would do to the woman if something happened to me.

Now, retired, I thought I’d be spared from that worry, but I lost Sean to PTSD and depression, to a cocktail of medications. What if that happened to me? What if I’m not strong enough? What if I break Lally from this side?

I push her hand away, moaning in pain, but relief comes too because I’ve made my decision. I dodged the bullet by not asking her to marry me last night.

I just have to get through this, purge this poison from my body, and then it’s wheels up.

But the pain is so much. I toss and turn.

She tends to me, her voice soft and soothing. Her touch even more so.

But I resist.

I’ve seen action. Combat action. Dogfights in the air. This is a Nerf gun fight.

But then the heavy artillery takes aim. Only, I’m firing on myself.

It’s through this fog of agony that I realize I’ve told Lally I love her.

That I asked her to marry me.

Lally

CHAPTER 19

Nothing to see here. Not me freaking out because Magnus, in his spider bite venomous fit of agony, told me he loves me and said he wants to make me his wife. And to check his pants pocket, if I didn’t believe him.

To be clear, they were on the floor next to his bed, where, tangled in the sheets, he withstood the nerve pain from the spider’s venom.

When I got the text earlier this morning, I calmly assessed the situation. Made some calls to confirm the path of treatment.

He’s not a candidate for antivenin. However, I’ve taken the prescribed comfort measures. Unfortunately, they don’t do a lot to ease the tremors and sweating. It’s just one of those things that has to run its course.

I’m concerned for Magnus because I don’t want him to suffer, but he just has to get through it. The other issue is how am I going to get through the Manatee Jubilee knowing that inside cottage one at Boo’s Battle Bros, there’s a man who wants to marry me.

I know what I heard, but am having a hard time wrapping my head around it.

After checking his vitals on the hour, refreshing his ice water, making sure he has clean towels (showers seem to help), and applying a cool compress, I freshen up and go into town. The best thing to do is for him to sleep when he can, so I leave him in peace.

Meanwhile, I’m in pieces.

His phone is charged, if he needs anything. I tell myself everything is going to be okay. I’ll check in throughout the day. He’s survived war and battles. He can handle this.